Originally kicking off her
music career in Perth, Scotland, Gemma Fox knows all about the struggles of a
small town artist. However, she has also familiarised herself with the
pressures of taking on the underground in the far more populous area of
Manchester, England!
Performing vocal duties for
metal acts Damagescape and Collibus, she is still as hard working as ever, but
now, with the latter band, it seems she is getting some foothold on the
slippery pole we call the music industry. Underground In Prydain sets out in
this article to pry into the musical life of someone who has done the
proverbial Dick Wittington, chasing their dream to the big city, and made it
somewhat of a success.
(The False Awakening: A true...em...awakening)
UP: Hey Gemma, how are you
this afternoon?
GF: Had a gig last night with
some friends for a charity event, and a lot of beer was consumed! So, feeling tired
and in need of coffee, but otherwise feeling pretty good!
UP: How many bands is that you're
in now?
GF: There is of course
Collibus, which has been gaining a lot of attention lately, but I'm in another
band called DamageScape. I also play covers from time to time for fun!
UP: Good to see you're
keeping busy!
GF: I have to or I'd
otherwise go mad! And sleep a lot (more than I usually do).
UP: So, you’re from Perth
originally?
GF: Yup, sort of! Grew up
near Stirling, before moving to Perth for music college. I call Perth home as
it's where I grew up, but as a musician!
UP: I think that's the case
for a lot of people involved in the music scene there, because of the college.
GF: Yeah, (it’s) I where I
first experienced gigging, and what it's like to be in a band and work with
other musicians. And I love that every musician I met were all unique and
diverse in their playing and style, which helped shape the musician I am today.
UP: It seems to have more
than its fair share of musical talent really, don’t you think?
GF: They come and go, like
myself, but the answer is yes. Perth has had a tonne of talent pass through it,
and I think it leaves its mark on all of us.
UP: You certainly seem to
hold a sort of fondness for it still
GF: Of course, that doesn't
go away. When I was back very briefly a few months ago, it was amazing to see
that nothing had changed. I met up my good friend Emma, another musician who
has grown profoundly since our college days, and we ended up jamming at Grey
Frier’s just for old time’s sake! It's so easy to fit back in like you'd never
left
UP: A lot of people seem to
feel the same, but it has to be said that, despite that, it isn’t really a
music mecca of any kind
GF: For me, as I said earlier,
it's a place to grow, but I felt I needed to move on after a while. So, after a
bit of soul searching I ended down here in Manchester of all places! It was
most definitely a move for the best, and I've achieved a lot since I've been
here, but Perth will always be home
UP: So, that was a major
influence on your decision to move south of the border?
GF: I knew I needed to do
something else, something big. Manchester was really by chance. I was only
meant to be here for a short visit, but I ended up joining Collibus and moving
here.
UP: Sounds like a bit of a
scary step into the unknown!
GF: I guess it was just
something I needed to do to. Luckily, I have my dad down here and I was able to
stay with him for a while, and it's always comforting to know he's just a short
train (journey) away. So, not that scary! But it's never easy to leave the
place you call home. I did alright though!
(Damagescape, featuring Gemma on guitar as well as vocals)
UP: When you first made the move,
right at the beginning of joining Collibus, did you notice a significant change
in your musical activity?
GF: Back home, I was mostly
doing the covers circuit, either on my own, in my duo with Emma, or my cover
band at the time. All of which were a lot of fun, but I'd never really found an
outlet for my own music. I tried joining one or two original bands, but they
always ended disastrously. So coming down here, I got to experience a whole
different type of music circuit. And it's damn hard work to always keep the
momentum going and very rarely getting paid, but at the end of the day, it's
still somehow more rewarding. At least the music I play is mine!
UP: Do you think the size of
the Manchester scene is what has allowed you to develop your own music more
successfully, then?
GF: It's a big scene for
sure, especially for rock and metal, which is why I think Manchester suits me
quite well! It's a great place for networking. Everybody knows everybody else,
and the majority of the bands you come across are very supportive, so it's very
easy to make connections and friends.
UP: It seems to have opened
up a lot of opportunities for you recently: playing Rock The House, meeting
Brian May, the slew of festival dates this summer. Do you think these things
would have been achievable if you’d stayed up in Scotland?
GF: I guess I'll never really
know for sure, but I don't think I'd find another band like Collibus, or a
guitarist that can top Stephen Platt, unless Jeff Loomis or John Petrucci
themselves give me a call! With Rock the House, we won that award because we
stood out from every other applicant, and that's not me being big-headed; it's
what I've been told from the competition founders Mike and Niki, who liked us
so much they wanted to manage us. That has opened a huge amount of doors, and I
think the band CV since then now speaks for itself! (We are) hugely grateful to
them, and the competition.
UP: These things just don't
seem to happen in smaller or more geographically remote regions, though. I'm a
big fan of the unique (which is why I like Collibus!), but it's easy to see
great bands seeming to suffer from being distant from places like Manchester,
or London or New York.
GF: I guess that's true.
Perth, for example, was very much a comfort zone for me. It wasn't until I
ventured outside it that things started to happen for me. There are a lot of
really talented musos out there who rarely leave their own little towns, and
that's great if that's what makes them happy. But there's more out there if you
care to take a look...
UP: A case of whether you're
happy to be a big fish in a small pond, or a small, aggressive one out in the
big wide ocean..?
GF: Ha, yeah, something like
that!!
UP: Essentially, the
opportunities are there in these big places, but they are a challenge, and you
have to be willing and able to conquer them.
GF: Of course it's a
challenge, and I don't think that will ever stop, but I guess it depends how
badly you want it!
UP: True, there have always
been those with the drive and those without.
GF: It's about having an
ambition and a goal, and then figuring out how to achieve it. I'm still
figuring it out... I'll keep you updated!
UP: So, we’re seeing plenty
of action in the public eye, but would it be wrong to assume that behind the
scenes of these somewhat high-profile turns of events, there are other cogs
moving in favour of the Collibus machine?
GF: The cogs are always in
motion. This year has all been about building the band cv (with some great
references too as a nice bonus, I might add) so that we can up our game for the
next phase. With Mike as our manager, he's very much a man with a lot up his
sleeve, and doesn't like to reveal too much until the timing is right. We just
know he has big plans, and so far everything else he's done has paid off
immensely, so we shall just have to wait and see what happens next!
(She came, she saw, she kicked ass. Gemma Fox)
UP: You’ve painted a pretty
solid picture of your experience for us! Thank you very much for your time! It
has been much appreciated!
GF: No problem. Makes a nice
change chatting about where I came from to how I got here! (I still ask myself
from time to time, so I'll be sure to read it back)
UP: One last question before
you go:
GF: Go on...
UP: Any closing advice for
those toying with the idea of looking to the big city in their quest for musical
development?
GF: Go for it! If you're
feeling like you need something bigger than what your town can offer you, then
do it. And by no means am I saying it will be easy, but you have to follow your
heart. At the end of the day, wherever you call home will always be there
waiting. Do you want to be there waiting with it? Or leave it behind and be
able to come back from time to time and tell stories of where you've been and
what you've done? And that's not just about music. That's about life.
UP: Spiritual words! Thank
you again, and good luck with the future! From the sounds of it, you'll make
the most of what it has to offer!
GF: I shall try! Cheers!
